Another case of travel-related dengue reported on Oahu

Another confirmed case of travel-related violence dengue has been reported to the state Department of Health, this time in Haleiwa.

The latest case was reported Thursday, just days after another. travel related case reported Monday on Oahu, according to health officials, who did not disclose where on the island that case was.

But this time the Hawaii Department of Health is urging the public to take extra precautions to protect themselves from the mosquito-borne disease due to high visitor traffic around Haleiwa Harbor.

Additionally, officials said very dense populations of the Aedes albopictus mosquito, a vector of the dengue virus, were found around the resident’s home and surrounding areas, and that these conditions could increase the risk of transmission.

Vector control teams have already treated the area, according to the DOH, and will continue to monitor it and take additional actions as necessary.

DOH also urges the public, especially in Haleiwa, to take extra precautions to protect themselves from mosquito bites with repellent or protective clothing and to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

Teams are going door-to-door to talk to residents and offer free inspections, said Matt Kurano, chief of the DOH’s vector control branch. Notices about confirmed dengue cases and recommended precautions will also be posted in the Haleiwa Ship Port area.

“We are really asking the public for their cooperation and kokua,” Kurano said during a press conference this morning. “The smallest things people can do, walking around after this heavy rain today, is going to be a lot of standing water in buckets, bromeliads and boat covers. “We need everyone to go out there and get rid of that stuff.”

The dengue virus is transmitted from an infected person to a mosquito to another person. Although Hawaii is home to the type of mosquitoes that can transmit dengue, the disease is not established in the state.

Symptoms of dengue include the sudden onset of fever, nausea, vomiting, rash and body aches, which usually last two to seven days. Although life-threatening illnesses can occur, most people recover after about a week.

The DOH said that from January 1, 2023 to the present, 10 travel-related cases have been reported in Hawaii. Of those 10 cases, five had traveled to Central or South America and five to Asia.

visit this Department of Health website to learn more ways to prevent mosquito-borne diseases.